The mobile phones were seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962.
The air intelligence unit of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport’s customs department has arrested a 53-year-old man on charges of smuggling 100 sets of Apple iPhone X worth around Rs 85 lakh. Further investigations are underway.
Sources said the air intelligence unit received information that the man would be coming to the airport with the cell phones on Friday. “The accused was coming from Dubai in flight no – 6E048. He was arrested when he was coming out through the green channel. A detailed search led to the seizure of the mobile phones worth around Rs 85 lakh from his possession,” sources said.
The mobile phones were seized under Section 110 of the Customs Act, 1962, and the man was arrested under Section 104.
The iPhone X is cheaper to buy in Dubai than India, and it is not unusual to find people smuggling the high-end device. In India, the base model with 64GB storage of the iPhone X costs Rs 95,390 and goes up to Rs 108,930 with 256GB storage. In comparison, the 64GB version of iPhone X costs AED 4,304 (or approx Rs 78,294) and AED 4,965 (or approx Rs 90,318) in Dubai. Apple iPhone X was the world’s best selling smartphone in the first quarter of 2018, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.